


Make it Rain

by CatLadyInTraining



Category: Gorillaz
Genre: Angst, Angst and Feels, Angst and Fluff and Smut, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Angst with a Happy Ending, Everyone Needs A Hug, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Friends to Lovers, I Blame Tumblr, I Tried, I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping, I'm Sorry, Long-Term Relationship(s), Major Original Character(s), Minor Character(s), Minor Original Character(s), Multi, Mutual Pining, Original Character(s), Past Relationship(s), Relationship(s), Romance, What Have I Done, Why Did I Write This?, slowburn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-07-03
Updated: 2019-09-18
Packaged: 2020-06-03 06:47:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 10,035
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19458595
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CatLadyInTraining/pseuds/CatLadyInTraining
Summary: Katrianna Brooks has made it big in the music scene.But it's not what she imagined at all.Scandals, heartbreak, and loss of her family have hit her in a matter of months, ripping her piece by piece just like the media always wanted. She is now just a self-deprecated singer whose career ended before it started. She's now an empty shell of a girl, a nightmare dressed like a daydream, and Katrianna merely survives off the empathy and pity of others just to make it.Katrianna knows she'll drown in the waves she has created, but swimming is not an option.2D Potts and Murdoc Niccals have just started their musical journey. Their first gig is at a barn turned bar, the White Horse known for their legendary live performances and killer rock bands. The White Horse inadvertently gave birth to one of the biggest bands of the year-Katrianna's already infamous Red Kings.Before the Gorillaz, before Kong Studios, before 2D's ultimate heartbreak, there was Katrianna and 2D. Two band members who only dreamed and never thought.When both parties meet, Katrianna must either learn to swim or learn to drown another.





	1. Re-Hash

**IT STARTED WITH A simple fight.**

Katrianna Brooks had been delving into the psychology of a deeply disturbed human being. Stray stains of tears still washed her cheeks, her hands still trembled despite the bars heated light, she couldn’t even think properly with the mind-numbing pain she had been experiencing the last few hours.

It was one, measly fight. How the hell had it escalated so quickly?

“So it’s done?” The bartender has asked, refilling her cup of water and scooting the mixed nuts closer to her fingers. James Turner. Katrianna’s overbearing brother-in-law and owner of the _White Horse_ bar usually kept to himself behind the counter and never pondered over Kat’s life, at least not outside the usual family greetings and holiday vacations they were all forced to attend, but with the constant stress the assholes of _Smile_ Records seemed to be causing, he had no choice but to let himself in. “How much longer until the band officially leaves?”

She wiped her nose with her sleeve, staring blankly at the mirror behind the bar. Katrianna looked like a mess. Her mascara came in streaky lines across her cheeks, red lipstick somehow found itself smeared about her face, and her hazel eyes were completely red with the constant rubbing and salty tears reappearing. Katrianna never cried in public before, but a bar was a hell of a good start.

“Not much, I give two weeks tops before they all take off.” She said trying to wipe away the wet black from her face.

“What happened when they heard?”

“Stan completely went berserk over the idea, he threw chairs, threatened the company, he even went as far as saying I was the reason why the _Red Kings_ weren’t going to be a thing anymore. Jaslene left after she signed the stupid thing, and Brie vowed she’d never speak to me again.”

James sighed as he checked the other side of the bar for any other customers, but the only people still at a bar at four am was the two of them, an elderly man, and two girls talking a little too loud under the circumstances. All of which seemed perfectly content with their beverages.

“How’d Christopher take it?”

Katrianna felt a rush of tears wanting to spill over. Nails dug into her palm, creating small crescents to focus on something else other than the pain in her heart. “He took it as well as you’d think.”

“Sorry to hear that kiddo.”

James took off behind the bar and into the kitchen, where Kat could hear some mumbling and a few dishes clanking together. The poor dishwasher must have still been in the back, probably half-asleep over the sink and wishing to be in bed. Katrianna sure was. But if she couldn’t even bring herself to drink a small glass of water, it was going to be hell trying to drag her sorry ass into bed.

Before she knew it, James emerged back into the dim blue lights, wiping his hands with a rag before tossing it to the pile of glasses behind him. He never liked the late-night shifts at the bar, mainly because after three the whole place usually died down significantly. Even more so if a band wasn’t playing anything. Which had been, unfortunately, the norm.

The _White Horse_ was famous for their legendary live showings. Hundreds of people would line up the walls just to get a peek on the inside. Labels and fame started in the very walls, but other than that, it was no different than any other bar, pub, whatever, in London. Their food wasn’t even that good, but Katrianna was never going to outright say that to James and her brother.

“Any plans until everything blows over?” He asked, “because, from the looks of it, you seem pretty miserable. You should go on vacation or something.”

“Ya, and have the media get on my ass some more? No thanks.”

“So, you’re just going to let them get what they want? A self-deprecating celebrity who lets their career die out. C’mon, I know you’re better than that.”

Katrianna tried not to huff about it. She knew James was right, which was sad on its own. He usually had really crappy advice. Once she asked him how to fake cry on set one day and he recommended stabbing herself, which was a start at least, but when she hung up she knew she was going to have to take another route.

James tried to laugh off his own joke the moment Katrianna’s face turned sour. “I’m kidding, you haven’t hit that stage just yet.”

Katrianna tried to laugh as well, but after a lengthy time of crying her eyes out, it wasn’t going to come so easily. Instead, a forced chuckle escaped her lips, but it seemed good enough for James, so he continued with his light teasing.

“You’re one of London’s biggest bands right now, remember? Anything that happens is either going to make you more of a high-priced star, or you’re going to get enough traction to be able to sell out at concerts, haters or not. In the end, you win. You get their money.”

“Since when did you become a master of managing bands?”

“When I proposed to your god damn brother.”

As if the devil was listening, Richard came through the main doors. The loud ring of the doorbell signaled to the other occupants a newbie just walked right in, but when they took notice it was a scraggly, older looking gentleman, they continued to ignore him as he walked past the bar tables and stools.

His hand slapped Katrianna’s back the moment he got close.

“Well if it isn’t my least favorite people.” A toothy grin brightened his face, but the bags hanging from his eyes seemed to be hindering his usual golden smile. “How’s it been? I don’t catch you at the bar often?” He directed towards Katrianna, giving her a raised brow, “Weren’t you the one that told me it would be unlawful to have a child in a bar?”

Kat flipped up her middle finger. “I’m seventeen, as long as I don’t drink, I can sit here. Besides, it’s a family joint ain’t it?”

Richard turned back towards James, a playful glare forming. “If you serve my sister any alcoholic drinks, I’m firing you.”

“Shocker,” James replied.

Katrianna took notice of the guitar Richard had been holding. The paint had faded long ago, the strings looked worn out, and one of the nobs at the top appeared to be missing. Where the hell did Richard get a junker like that?

“You pick up another guitar from that shop down the road?” Kat asked.

“Nice, isn’t it?”

He placed it on the table, showing the full deteriorated state of the acoustic guitar. It was worse than Kat had imagined. The headstock looked to be holding on to a few splinters, most of the frets were missing, and the neck was missing more wood than it was worth to fix it. Richard had a hobby of buying the crappy instruments no one wanted, but damn, there had to be a limit.

“What are you going to do with it?”

Richard shrugged. “I’ll find a use for it. Only cost me ten pounds, so hopefully, it won’t be too much of a loss.”

“Ten pounds too much,” James joked.

Richard stuck his tongue like a child and took off to the back.

James shook his head in disbelief as he chuckled to himself. Even though they weren’t legally married yet, they practically lived like one.

The stage lights flicked on quickly, and the remaining bar members turned to the sudden brightness. Richard tapped the microphone as he always did before making some dramatic announcement.

“Good early morning folks,” he smiled as he waved to James, but all he did was scoff and turn away, “I just want to make a quick announcement we will be having another band performing tonight. A new one. As you all know, my sister,” he gestured to Katrianna, “has made it big in our walls, so we thought we’d give another band a chance. They will be performing tonight at nine, as usual. Tell all your friends.”

The lights shut off the moment he finished his little speech. Katrianna wasn’t so sure on Richard inviting another band to the bar. Reporters and all the media parasites would be hounding for a spot for the next big thing, or get a comment from Kat, who has since been avoiding the journalists like a plague. But she did wonder who he had scrounged up amid London. Richard wasn’t a fan of metal or grunge, which was the main music coming out besides pop. He liked the classics and alternative, and there weren’t many bands like that forming on the streets of London.

She wondered if they were a high school band thinking they had everything to make it big, or a small middle-aged band that forgets they have to work the next morning, either way, they were all the same. They would soon die out the moment the media gets a hold of them. The journalists would pick them apart piece by piece and throw the leftovers to the dogs. They were harsh, and the worst people Katrianna had met, and that was saying a lot.

Katrianna took a light sip of her water, trying to replenish the fluids she had lost throughout the day. She didn’t want to wake up with a headache in the morning, heaven knows that would be the last thing she needed to start the already long weekend.

James had disappeared in the back, probably talking to Richard about the surprise he had laid on them. The preparations for any band was an all-day expense, let alone trying to stock up on the low liquor and food the drunken bastards would want throughout the night. She was also pretty sure Richard’s sound system hadn’t been used since Katrianna had first left with the record company. Which was about four months ago.

_That band is doomed to hell_.

She took another drink.

Tomorrow was going to be a long day. 


	2. Tomorrow Comes Today

**SATURDAYS FOR KATRIANNA become a special day for her, not because she could sleep in however long she wanted, but because Kat could get away with it without anyone giving her a lecture on over-sleeping.** Usually, her concerts went well into the mornings of Saturdays, so it was perfectly alright for her to be sleeping in until five or six in the afternoon without James or Richard busting into her room with some cold water. It was the only time they kept their mouths shut, but that didn’t mean they were quiet on their own.

James and Richard both got up at the crack of dawn no matter how late they went to bed the night before. Four am, five am, six am, it was all the same. If eight o’ clock rolled around, they were both up.

They had a reputation when it came to the bar. Everything was precisely cleaned and in pristine condition. Richard manually rechecked all the electrical wiring and sound systems, hand washed all the tables and chairs with bleach and even went as far as cleaning the walls in case some drunk smeared their hands on it wrong. One inspector appraised them once and since then, they haven’t stopped.

Katrianna wouldn’t have dwelled on their usual cleanliness, but when an earth-shattering bang rattles the house, Kat wants to know what the hell they were doing differently.

She still felt groggy. Her eyes felt heavy. Everything about her ached. It didn’t help to have her fat cat laying across her legs and purring up a storm without a care in the world. Katrianna rubbed her face as she turned over, still hearing the loud bangs and the metal rubbing against metal in fits of rage.

A loud string of curse words echoed, more banging, and finally, James voice yelling at the top of his lungs.

“What the hell do you think you’re doing Richard!” He bellowed out. Something crashed in the distance the moment he stopped.

Katrianna slowly unraveled herself from the blankets and got dressed. Sporting today’s outfit with a torn t-shirt and plaid pajama pants that had paint splattered from top to bottom. If any camera caught her in the get up she’d be ridiculed by the fashion police in those ridiculous magazines. But she honestly couldn’t blame them, she looked downright awful.

James and Richard continued their bickering as Katrianna navigated herself through the house. The door in their laundry room had been linked to the back of the stage a long time ago, and it had saved a ton of time and gas if one of them forgot something on the counter. It was better than living in the barn’s attic and better than driving from one town to another. But hell, it was exhausting to hear drunks partying when you’re trying to get some sleep.

Richard’s painful yelp echoed through the open doors as she made it through. The backstage had already been cleaned, instruments lined the walls, their glass polished without a single print. Lights blared through the stage as she pushed some of the curtains back, and there was Richard, hanging from the rafters as he dragged on some wires.

James sat at the bottom of the ladder, completely in disbelief at his idiot soon-to-be-spouse. One wrong move and Richard would come crumbling down on the stage with a pile of lights. Thousands of dollars of damage if he made one wrong move.

“Jesus Christ,” Katrianna muttered, still staring at Richard above. “What the hell is he doing?”

James shrugged, “he thinks the wires are coming loose. I told them they were fine and the next thing I know I’m down here, holding a ladder and getting my car keys ready in case we need to take him to the hospital.”

Richard’s fingers slipped and Katrianna was waiting to hear a splat hitting the stage, but nothing of that sort happened. Instead, Richard had barely hung back on, and James couldn’t do anything except let out a breath of relief.

“How long has he been up there?” Kat asked, sitting underneath the ladder with James.

“Enough.”

Katrianna shook the ladder, which caused Richard to let out a few frightening whines.

“Y’know, I’m not a fan of being threatened.” Richard tried to keep steady, but his shaky voice was enough to signal he was terrified of hanging off the ceiling. “I’m almost done. And-,“ a pop went through the building. “Done.”

James and Katrianna moved as Richard crawled back down. His fingers were stained a charcoal black, smudged across his prints, and his hair seemed to be sticking at the end. Katrianna prayed he’d didn’t get his dumb ass shocked while he was cruising up there but that was asking for too much.

“You are a fucking idiot,” James said the moment Richard’s shoes hit the ground.

James was beyond peeved. His olive skin was coated with a hint of red anger. It would be a while before James would calm himself, and being the polite person he was, he took off to the back of the bar where he could distract his mind from Richard’s stupid antics. Yelling wasn’t going to help the situation, and Kat knew they’d talk about it later the moment they had some spare time.

Katrianna smacked his arm, “why’d you go and do that for? You know we have electricians for that sort of complicated work. You could have really hurt yourself there.”

Richard shrugged, but his heart was on his sleeve. You could read every emotion on his face like a book, and he seemed generally upset. “Ya, I know. But this band, what I I could do the same thing we did for you? Remember that day?” He asked, running his fingers through his blond hair, “we went through hell getting everything prepared for you. And guess what? We got you and your whole band a deal.”

“I remember,” she quickly replied back, “but that was more than just lights moron. You could have really hurt yourself there. And what about James? You nearly scared him half to death.”

“I’ll talk to him later. Right now, we have crap to do. Important things the band needs us to get ready.”

Richard disappeared like he usually did. Which gave Katrianna the chance to go see how James was doing. That poor guy was going to kill over one day from a heart attack because of her stupid brother. James was a class A worrywart, and Richard increased that bad habit by five.

James roughly wiped down the glass cups he had and placed them under the bar for later. She jumped every time he placed it on the granite slab with a small slam. With the force he was applying, she was waiting for one of them to crack or break under his hands. She was waiting to hear glass slide, a howl from a cut, but it seemed her imagination was just getting the best of her yet again.

“Your brother’s an idiot,” James finally started, which helped ease Kat’s nerves just a little. She took the first seat at the bar and continued watching James clean the glasses and reorganize the liquor all over again. She admired his nit-picking skills, there was no way she’d recount the bottles every day. Katrianna already had a hard time with the minimal responsibilities she already had.

Katrianna smiled as she spun around the chair, “tell me about it.”

Katrianna could hear Richard rummaging about in the upper parts of the barn, most likely sweeping the old cans and whatever else guests like to sneak inside. Richard was smart enough to not be going around doing other reckless shenanigans that put cartoons to shame, but sometimes Katrianna wouldn’t past it by him.

“How’d your brother live past the age of twenty?”

She shrugged. “Good question. I’d like to think he was a cat in a past life. Maybe Richard has nine lives or something and that’s why he’s lived so long.”

James laughed as he continued through marking off the liquors below the table.

From the corner where she sat, Kat could see James old pile of magazines sitting on the table. Music articles and reviews of the bar that had been printed in the local newspapers, but the cover of one magazine seemed to catch her eye.

She reached over and grabbed it, bringing it closer to read.

_RED KINGS BREAKING UP?_

Katrianna peered closer at the cover. For some odd reason, Katrianna was the only one on the cover, beaming with her trademark makeup and smile that she had been known for the past few months. She appeared to be more confident in the photo, she seemed to be a completely different person to be exact.

Her usual natural curls were straightened to a prim, left in loose waves around her round face. Brown eyes colored by thick eyeliner and shimmery shadows, foundation covered her freckles and the small mole on her chin, and her lips were painted with a rosy pink that didn’t match the other colors at all. She didn’t mind makeup, but the person in the magazine and the person she really was appeared to be two different people.

No wonder people didn’t recognize her on the street very often.

Katrianna turned to the page they instructed, and sure enough, there was a whole article about the Red Kings and their supposed break up. Another photo of Katrianna filled the two-page spread as small sneak peeks of Jaslene and Stanley in the corners. It was their album cover, white background, no smiles, and everyone held their instrument in their hands. Kat even had her bass, which was disappointing because she hadn’t played it once since they made the album.

_Everyone’s favorite rock band has recently hit the rocks. Their platinum album of the same name has shaken everyone at the core with their original pieces, hard guitar riffs, and a bond that seemed to be unbreakable. However, it seems the Red Kings hold more secrets than they first let off._

_Lead Singer Katrianna Brooks, also known by the stage name Kat King, has been known to already be a challenging person to get along with, especially with old lead singer Stanley Montgomery (Stan King). There have already been reports done on the strain of Stan’s and Kat’s love-hate relationship regarding each other and the band, but there is a lot more behind the two Kings than just a little jealous turmoil._

_An insider says Kat and Stan have been hiding from the media because a supposed contract has opened between Smile Records and the other members of Red King._

_“We’re just trying to make the band a little more professional,” the band’s insider says, “it’s honorable the band wants to stay together like they always have, but we have to have the rights go to someone not just all of them. We’re talking about a platinum-winning band. They're not an after-school band anymore.”_

_A contract? It would explain why Kat and the others have disappeared from the public’s eye. Not to mention that rhythm guitarist Brie Berth has been rumored to have had a pregnancy scare with an unknown man. For only being in the spotlight for a few months it seems Kat and her fellow Kings are ready to get into the scandals as much as getting on the billboards._

_With tension as bad as rights to a label and a possible pregnant member, it could mean the band potentially breaking up, or worse, replaced. If these tenacious teenagers don’t grow up it could cost them a lot more than just a label._

_-Tresha Monarch_

“You happy you read that?” James asked with a raised brow. He took it from her fingers and tossed it in the garbage before Kat could protest. “Richard says not to read those things you know.”

Katrianna nodded, trying to figure out who the insider was in the article. Most of the band members wouldn’t go as far as snitching on the others for a little more fame. Besides, it would go against their current contract to discuss private matters in the face of the media.

She would have to give that Tresha Monarch a quick call before the week was over. Who the hell told her the pregnancy rumor?

“You need to quit letting them get to you.”

“What do you mean?” Kat asked, trying to shake the weird feeling in her stomach.

“I can tell. You seem agitated just from reading it. You don’t need to get riled up because some reporter wants to talk crap about you and the others.”

“I know,” she huffed, “I know.”

James patted her shoulder as he always did and left her at the bar.

Katrianna ran her fingers through her hair, took a deep breath, and finally decided to get something to eat before the band arrived.

She wondered who the hell they were. Were they some after-school band just like Kat’s was? Or had they been a little more professional with their naming and publicity? Hopefully, they were a lot smarter than she was when it came to that type of thing, she didn’t want to find some other poor saps in the same boat she was in.

Bells jingling broke her thoughts, and she turned to the main doors where they rung heavily. Katrianna had given Richard crap for adding convenience store bells on the bar doors, but it helped in the daytime when strangers would try and sneak in. If it was some damn reporter, it wouldn’t have been the first time.

“Richard!” Katrianna yelled. “I think your band is here!”

Katrianna waited for Richard to come scurry down the stairs and greet them with open arms, but nothing but the silence was met. She called again, still nothing. Katrianna was about to run upstairs and give her a piece of her mind before a head of blue hair caught her eye.

“Eh, Murdoc, are yer sure we're allowed ter walk in then?”

Katrianna stopped and sighed, Richard did hire an after-school band.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey all!
> 
> I hope you enjoyed reading this chapter and I hope to see you again in the next one! As usual leave some kudos and some comments if you enjoyed it! Thanks!
> 
> Question of the Day:
> 
> Why did you name your first chapter Re-Hash?
> 
> Answer of the Day:
> 
> I will be naming all my chapters after a specific Gorillaz song. Every one of the songs I put will be tied in somehow with the story. For example, when I used Re-Hash it's about (my personal opinion and view) of the song. To me, the band is stating "it's a sweet sensation," and "we don't want to stop." to say playing in a band is fun and something they don't want to quit anytime soon. While the lines "It's the money or stop" can say that, in the end, the band is doing all this for money no matter how fun or passionate you are as a band. For Katrianna she's in a state of peril because her bandmates are fighting about a contract with the record company and it's tearing them apart. As much fun as it was in the band, she has to make a choice with either making money as a band or quitting it as a whole.
> 
> For the second chapter, I used Tomorrow Comes Today. In the song (again personal opinion) 2D/Albarn is talking about the paparazzi constantly at their heels-"The Digital won't let me go." While the lines "I'll pay when tomorrow, tomorrow comes today," means the singer is saying if they make a mistake in front of the camera they'll be paying for it as soon as the public gets their hands on it. So tomorrow thus becomes today. Katrianna is constantly hiding from the paparazzi because their band has already had their fair share of scandals, they don't want to add more mistakes on a band that just started. With the magazines and newspaper articles poking at Katrianna and the mistakes her bandmates already made, it's causing more trouble for them.
> 
> As I said, this is all personal opinions on the song. But thanks to my tumblr users who asked on my tumblr! If you want to follow me on there it's CatLadyInTraining-AO3 blog. I post a lot of video game related stuff there, but I also put a lot of fanfic related jabber and answer the questions you want there too!
> 
> Again thanks for reading!


	3. Sound Check (Gravity)

**KATRIANNA WAS JUST ABOUT TO make an introduction when the lights blew out.** The bar didn’t have the standard blowout they had been accustomed too. Occasionally the building would turn off unexpectedly and turn back on from the old electricity coursing through the wires, but it would usually only last a few seconds, and everything would return to normal. However, this time it did not turn back on, and the entire place turned a shifty dark and stayed that way.

The only remaining light source was a battered window from upstairs, which was great for Richard and the upstairs departments, but everything outside that window and below deck plummeted in unsustainable darkness that sent shivers down Katrianna’s spine. The building was set in an eerie silence, nothing moved except the dust from people’s shoes and James rummaging in the backroom.

“Everyone okay?” He asked, shining a beam of a flashlight directly at Katrianna and the other poor saps that got caught in the mess. “What the hell happened?”

Katrianna had heard a pop and a boom before the place sank into hell, “who do you think?” She wasn’t sure if it was Richard who had caused the situation in the first place, but as always, she wouldn’t be surprised. In fact, she would be ecstatic to know her stupid brother was at fault because one, it was probably something that could easily be fixed, or two, Richard would finally learn his lesson about messing with the power and lights before a major social event.

Either way, it was better to believe in that instead of some stupid bad luck.

James pointed the light back at Katrianna, and she couldn’t help but squint every time he passed her with the torch. Her eyeballs already burned from lack of sleep and tears springing forth the night before, she didn’t need to be in perpetual darkness with a single light source gazing at her the entire time.

“Sorry about that,” James said to the band, who had surprisingly, stayed quiet so far. “It can’t be in the worst ten introductions of all time, right?”

One of them scoffed, but Katrianna couldn’t tell who it was. James pointed to one of the members, an older gentleman about a foot taller than Kat. From what she could tell, he seemed generally amused by the whole ordeal, which was downright strange coming from the type of situation they had been thrust in.

“Oy, no worries mate.” His voice was scruffy, almost malevolent in a teasing sort of way if that made any sense. Which it didn’t. “We have until later tonight, if we miss our big break, then we’d be a little pissed off.”

Katrianna tried not to snarl. He smelt like old liquor and cigarette smoke. A combination Kat should have been used to with the touring she had endured the past couple of months, but it seemed to be permeated in his skin and not something he had recently. Fresh cigarette smoke was one thing, week old, pack-a-day smoke fermenting off body odor and clothes was different.

“Richard should have it all under control,” James reassured, but from the way he sounded, he had a hard time believing it too. The words “Richard” and “Under Control” never went together. He had been a walking disaster since the day he showed up at the house.

Foster care had been a royal pain in the ass, but an adventure no less.

Katrianna was about to say something before a tumble came down the stairs. James pointed his light to the darkened stairway to see Richard gripping the stair rail and seemed to be in a mild state of panic. His feet were scanning the ground trying to find the next step before James found him with his flashlight.

“Jesus Christ you guys,” Richard said as he slowly made himself towards the group, “did you hear that? Sounded like a bomb.”

James rolled his eyes, and Katrianna couldn’t help but do the same. Richard was a drama-queen, with a capital Q, which is probably where Kat had learned her dramatic personality.

“Do you think you could do anything without almost sending yourself to the morgue and killing us all?” James sarcastically replied. His annoyance cut like silver through his words and Katrianna was almost afraid he’d soon pop a blood vessel, or worse, Richard’s head.

Before Richard could give back some smart remark, James turned back to the unfortunate guests that had found themselves in Richard’s bar. Four members, typical for a high school band, well, most of them looked like they were fresh out of high school at least. The older one that James had already spoken to seemed to be twice the age of everyone else.

Katrianna felt right at home. She was no older than seventeen, and it wasn’t long ago where she was in the same spot as them. Trying to find gigs across England, living penny after penny, proving not only the public but also yourself that you belonged up there on stage. It was a hard industry to get through. Her band, even though the scandals, rumors, and fighting, there was something special about sharing a dream.

She admired anyone who thought they had what it took. After school band or not.

Richard grabbed Kat’s hand, causing her to jump in surprise.

“So, what do you think?” He asked the moment they had been pulled away.

“What do I think? What do you mean _what do I think_? I never even said a word to them before you went and screwed up the power.”

Richard rubbed his neck, turning away in embarrassment. A grin was plastered on his face, she could still see his pearly whites through the darkness.

“I just mean, like, do you think they could be like you?”

Katrianna couldn’t even fathom the idea. Was that why Richard was so adamant on getting another band so quickly? He wanted another Red Kings. Sure, they had made it big in his walls. He made _bank_ on their last few performances there. The White Horse was all anyone talked about for weeks, and that had been the coolest three weeks of her life.

Richard and James made enough money to not only pay off their cars and the bar, but they had made enough to have their mortgage payments lined up for the next year and a half. She had basically aided her brother in anything regarding finances, and she knew they were thankful for that, but having another Red Kings? She felt a little hurt just thinking about it.

The White Horse was hers and hers alone. The Red Kings starting point, her home, her brother’s bar. She was a bit hesitant to allow another band to just come up in there and waltz their way to the stage as they did. There couldn’t be another her.

Katrianna glanced at James, who had snaked his way to the band’s location. They were talking amongst themselves quiet enough that Kat couldn’t hear, which was the best. She was such a nosey eavesdropper it was ridiculous.

“You want other Red Kings?” Her voice quivered for a moment, but she immediately dug her nails in her palms driving her other emotions away. “I mean, you want another band that can make it as we did?”

Richard nodded. It was subtle, and hard to see, especially since Katrianna was not wearing her glasses. After so long in wearing contacts, she kept forgetting that when she took them out, she needed to transfer back to glasses.

“Leaning against the wall she chewed on her thumbnail. Another Red Kings.

_They’re not really the Red Kings_.

She knew that, but there was already a bugging voice in the back of her head to tell Richard off and just wait a little longer for a different band. She didn’t want them there; she didn’t want them to _replace_ her. How good were they? How bad were they?

_Oh God, what if they give the bar a bad name when they played?_

_Oh, GOD! What if people compare her to them?_

“So? You haven’t said anything.” Richard said, pestering her away from the voice still ringing in her head.

Katrianna tried to smile because she knew Richard would still be able to see the faint line of her frown if she did. “Ya, give them a shot.” She almost puked out the words. They tasted a little like acid on her tongue and she wasn’t ready to continue. “Let them play, but you might want to fix the power before then.”

_Please for the love of God Richard, fuck something else up so they can’t play._

“Do you think the apartment still has electricity?” Katrianna asked, “I need to take a shower before tonight.”

Richard had placed his hand on her shoulders, “go right ahead. The bar’s power isn’t hooked to the apartment. You should be fine.”

Katrianna shoved him away as she traced the wall with her hand. She didn’t want to accidentally trip over the tables or chairs. That would be embarrassing, especially since she wanted to just scream in a pillow at the moment.

She couldn’t handle the thought of another band replacing her and her legacy there. What if they were good? They’d surely forget all about her band. Her brother would jump ships the moment they start bringing in a little money, and with the history of the bar, the flyers, possible the ads in the paper, there would be a line of people trying to get access.

The media, general public, friends and family, they’d all be there to see the next big phenomenon, and Katrianna was not ready to be replaced by her fans so easily. She worked her ass off, fought tooth and nail to get where she was, she even fought with her own band to get the best contracts and deals she could get. Her career couldn’t be over after one lousy album. It just couldn’t end like that.

When Katrianna opened the door to the apartment, she had forgotten it was still only in the afternoon. The sun was bright and shiny, cascading through the curtains across the wood floors and furniture.

Her cat, Pepper, was already sprawled on the couch’s armrest and preparing his day to sleep it away. Katrianna wished she could just crawl with her and go back to bed, wait until tonight to solve all her emotional turmoil over the other band. She knew she was overthinking it all, but there was always that voice scratching in her mind.

If she made it, why couldn’t they?

Katrianna turned on the tv and made her way to the bathroom. Her curly hair hadn’t been washed in nearly a week. It was normal for her to not wash her hair often since it was so darn brittle and frizzy it was easier to let it free roam, but not washing it gave it an odd smell she didn’t like. It was like a mixture of old perfumes and candle wax. Pepper didn’t even like to sleep on her pillow, which meant it was worse than Kat had imagined.

When she crawled in under the hot water it seemed a few of her problems were already solved. Scorching, almost boiling water, was her favorite thing in the world. There was nothing else like feeling like a lobster in a pot.

As she scrubbed off all the dirt and grime from herself, she could still hear the television downstairs. The music news was going to air any time now and she wanted to know if the Red Kings were back on the list.

Kat sighed. She couldn’t get that stupid article out of her head. Who snitched? Did the television already get the fresh news of the contract in their hands too? How long was it going to be before she’d get a telephone call from her manager about it?

There were so many questions running in her head, and she didn’t have the answers to any one of them. She especially couldn’t get the other band out of her head. If the Red Kings were a band full of scandals and misdeeds, the label could easily drop them for something else. There were thousands of bands out in the world trying to get their one minute to prove themselves, and Richard might have just given the older gentleman’s band the chance.

She couldn’t even imagine how she’d compete with them if that happened.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading all!
> 
> Chapter Title:  
> I choose Gorillaz Sound Check song because every time I listen to it I almost get this sense of pain and discomfort. Like it's not bad or anything remotely awful, but it's almost the sense of overwhelming anxiety about something, like knowing something bad is going to happen. Like having someone leave you in a relationship or losing a job, you can't help feel this dread in moments like this and that's the feeling I get when I listen to this song. Again, it's all my personal opinion, it doesn't mean that's what the song was actually meant for, but hey, I get weird feelings/stories from songs, especially from Gorillaz.   
> In Kat's case, she's terrified to know her brother might like the new band more than her. That she's feeling replaced, especially since she's at a bit of a low point, especially when it comes to her own band. She doesn't know how to properly manage her feelings towards this so it just feels like dread and hopelessness mixed with confusion.
> 
> QUESTION OF THE DAY:
> 
> Will Katrianna ever be a part of the Gorillaz?
> 
> ANSWER OF THE DAY:
> 
> No. Because I want to keep this as canon as possible. She has her own life outside the Gorillaz and I want to showcase hat before the Gorillaz are even formed. I have ideas on how she interacts with them when the band is officially formed, but she won't be a part of them because there is no Katrianna Brooks living in Kong Studies in the Canon universe.  
> Sorry, but I like to keep things as accurate as possible and don't want to ruin what Jamie and Damon worked so hard on.
> 
> Love you guys! Hope you enjoyed reading this!


	4. Double Bass

**KATRIANNA SHOWED BACK UP IN THE bar about three hours later.** After a relatively relaxing shower, one on which she used up all the remaining hot water, Kat figured she might as well make some breakfast on top of her already demanding day.

The kitchen appeared to have had a storm blow over the moment she was finished. A whole package of bacon, a half-dozen eggs, and two bowls of cereal later, Katrianna finally felt full enough to continue the formidable day.

She always had a much bigger appetite compared to the rest of her family, which is why her all time favorite record was winning first place in a state hot dog eating competition. Those dogs never saw it coming.

Through the rest of the afternoon, Katrianna had spent her time flipping through mindless daytime television. Nothing seemed to be on, minus the occasional music videos and music news, but thankfully, nothing had been about her. Yet.

It would only be a matter of time before someone on the station would get ahold of the same magazine she did and plaster it all over the network. Scandals made good ratings, she had to give them that much. She, just like many others, lived off the drama in the world, which was sad to say. Kat absolutely hated it when news and magazines started spreading a little gossip.

Katrianna would have spent the rest of the day on the couch with her snacks and remote, but across the hall, the telephone rang. She never liked the stupid thing. After the bar’s incident on numerous prank callers, Richard had figured it was a good idea to split the land lines, but that only added more problems.

Now the house phone rang all damn day, and it was loud enough to hinder Katrianna’s daytime sleeping.

“Richard and James house, this is his sister speaking.” Kat had said when she finally answered it on the third ring. Never in her life had she answered with her own name, even when she lived with her parents.

“Since when are you awake at this time?”

Kat rolled her eyes. It seemed it was finally time for Smile Records to jump on board with the newest scandal. Their band manager, Ethan Masters, was an old, sour sort of man who yelled too much and showered too little. She had never seen him outside his office in Rochester, nor did she think he had any family outside his mother, which was quite sad really, but he was too big of a dick towards her to get any sympathy.

“Richard had asked me to help with the bar this morning,” which was of course, a lie. Katrianna wasn’t about to tell him her sorry ass had been woken up by her stupid brother’s attempt on fixing the stage lights. She definitely wasn’t going to tell him about the new gig that evening either. Boy, would that initiate an ear-chewing. He’d say the same thing she thought: “the White Horse belonged to the Red Kings.”

Ethan sighed on the other end, unsatisfied at Katrianna’s answers and a bit pissed about that morning’s newest music headline. “You see what _Sound Specialists_ put in their magazine this morning?”

“Can’t say I have.”

Katrianna was sure going to Hell for the sheer amount of lying she did. She probably needed therapy for pathological lying, but that would cost too much, and honestly, she thought it was a waste of time.

“They say one of you idiots shared private information on the contracts you guys were supposed to sign on the rights. By the way, how is that going for you?”

“They’re not doing it, I told you they’d say no.”

“Have you persuaded them?”

“Every trick in the book.”

Ethan again sighed, and Katrianna imagined him rubbing his wrinkly temples like he always did when he didn’t get his way.

“Did you also tell them that if they didn’t sign it, they’d be replaced?” Ethan continued, a hint of irritation escaping through his lips.

“Of course, I did. You asked, I delivered. Stanley and Christopher are as prideful as they were when you found them. They’re not going to continue this lightly you know. They’ll probably stop by your office at some point to discuss it.”

Ethan snickered, “oh, I’m counting on it.”

Katrianna wasn’t a fan of talking to Ethan any time of the day. Which is why she usually just allowed Richard to take the calls and annoy the shit out of anyone who wanted to speak to her. It was easier to have him deliver meeting times, gig dates, and practicing sessions than ever be on the phone with Ethan for longer than a few seconds. With Richard, the call usually only lasted a minute, maybe more if Richard was extra petty, but with Katrianna? She couldn’t count the minutes, sometimes they had been hours before he’d allow her to go.

“Again, about the leak. Who told?”

Katrianna shrugged, she honestly had no idea who would. The Red Kings were only popular in the UK, if that. Sure, she was the front man of the teenage angst propaganda at the moment, but that didn’t mean there were bigger bands who had bigger stories. Ethan just wanted a scapegoat to make it all go away. Blame someone in the building and get on with whatever was next before he’d need another scapegoat again.

“Sorry Ethan. I can’t tell ya. You might want to ask Stanley, Jaslene said he had a few acquaintances that were a bit sketchy.”

“Sketchy? You know I don’t have time for some low-life drug dealers and pot heads. Do you think any of your own members could have spilled?”

“They’re stupid, but not _that_ stupid.”

“I guess you’re right,” Ethan had trailed off, and it almost seemed he was going to continue what he was about to say, but before he could, another voice showed up in the background.

A woman’s voice, very feminine, almost with a chirp in her words as if she was singing. His secretary most likely, his newest flavor of the month to be exact. How long would Chirp-Girl last before she too was replaced in Ethan’s rage?

“Listen, Katrianna,” She hated how he said her name. Almost as if he was trying it out. He gave her the absolute creeps. “We need to have a meeting about this contract ASAP. I want you here at seven tonight. I’ll call the others when I got time, but you _need_ to be here. Not a minute late, you understand?”

“Yes.”

“Good, that would make everything easier.”

And the dial tone set in. Katrianna hung on the line for a few seconds longer, almost feeling as if Ethan’s voice would soon appear again and she’d have to tolerate it all over again. God, she hated that man. She never thought she would have said that in her life, but there wasn’t enough hate in her body to even explain how much she wanted him gone.

Her band was being torn bit by bit by him, and it seemed he only thought of it as some game to play in his free time. It was so sickening, Katrianna had almost wanted to throw up all the food she had eaten that morning, but she wasn’t ready to taste regurgitated bacon bites, so she continued with slamming the phone on the wall and heading back out to the bar.

In the time Kat was gone, the new band had set themselves up on stage quite nicely. Richard had even got the power back on, and the entire bar was back in its hazy glow of neon signs. James appeared to be helping the guitarist on her sound, and Richard was sitting at one of the tables watching from the distant. Alone.

“I thought you said you were going to change.” He remarked the second Katrianna had walked into hearing distance. He took a long drink of whatever he had poured himself from the bar before continuing, “you’re still in pajamas.”

Katrianna yawned, “I did change. These ones are clean.”

Richard couldn’t help but snicker. He knew damn well Kat wasn’t going to change if she wasn’t planning on going anywhere, and if there were plans, well you better bet your ass Kat was going to show up in some footie pajamas and a leather jacket.

“You have any plans tonight?”

“Fitting you asked because I just got a call from Ethan like ten minutes ago, he wants to discuss some things with the band together.”

“Are the other members going to go? Or just you?”

“I’m pretty sure all of us.”

Richard had glanced at her the moment she had said those words. Richard didn’t like Ethan either. After only meeting him once in person, he made Kat swear on her life she’d never be with Ethan alone. Apparently after a rather unfortunate run in near the bar’s parking lot, Richard had made it official the head of Smile Records was a class A creep. Katrianna never blamed him for being a little cautious around him.

“How’s the band?” She asked trying to change the subject.

“Quite good actually.”

Katrianna glanced back at the band, watching the four move about the stage checking their equipment and bickering at one another. Richard tried not to smile as she nervously kept staring.

“They’re not going to be any better than the Red Kings you know.” He took another drink of his glass before Kat gave him a glance. “They’re temporary.”

Katrianna rubbed her hands through her curls, now back to their bouncy form on her head. “I know, I never said anything about it.”

“You thought about it. You’re a good liar on the phone, but in person, you really suck at your facial expressions. It’s why you suck at Poker.”

“What’s their name?”

“They never said. I think that’s what they’re still arguing over. Apparently the older one, Murdoc I think he called himself, has had about six names already and he’s still not satisfied about it.”

“They better get on doing it, they perform tonight.”

“Eh,” Richard shrugged it off. “First day jitters. I’m sure whatever they pick tonight they won’t stick to it.”

Both Richard and Katrianna turned to the ear-splitting sound of the microphone slamming on the ground. Their lead singer, at least who Katrianna thought was their lead singer, shakily grabbed it off the ground before looking right at Kat and Richard starring back at him. Murdoc, as Richard had called him, smacked the other one upside the head when he approached him.

“Who’s that one?” Kat asked, “the one with the blue hair.”

“Said his name was 2-D or something like that.”

“As in cartoons?”

Richard laughed, “yeah, I guess.”

“And the others?”

“Their guitarist is named Paula, and the drummer’s name Russel. A bunch of pretty nice people if you ask me. You know, except for their bassist. He’s a bit of a wild card. Kind of reminds me of Stanley.”

“Sounds like an insult.”

Katrianna bit her thumb as she continued to watch the band wonder about the stage. Murdoc knew what he was doing, or so it seemed from what Katrianna was watching, he had a certain professional stance when it came to prepare himself. The others, however, circled around like little lost puppy dogs waiting for a treat.

2-D was the worst of all. Katrianna wasn’t sure if it was anxiety or just simply stage fright, but he shook like a leaf whenever he held the microphone in his trembling hands. He would tap his fingers together waiting for instruction, follow Murdoc around, talked to their guitarist occasionally, but Kat couldn’t keep her eyes off him. He spewed out so much anxious energy that _Katrianna_ started tapping her foot in unsettled nerves.

If he was this bad without an audience, she couldn’t imagine what sort of wreck he was going to be when the bar would start to fill up. There would be hundreds of bodies circled around the tables in a mere few hours. Hundreds of people who would riot if they sucked and ruined a good Saturday night.

Katrianna sighed as Richard’s watch ticked close to five.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed!
> 
> Song of the Day:  
> Double Bass: I hope everyone knows this song because it's one of my favorites off the Gorillaz album. There isn't any singing, sadly, but I love the sounds and the story behind it is a magical one. (Look it up, it's pretty hilarious.) Anyway, I imagined the interlude part was similar to the sounds in 2D's head during this chapter or the bits and sounds they make to test out the sound equipment, and also how anxious everyone is about the future. Katrianna is anxious about the meeting with Ethan and the band performing, and 2D is a little anxious bean who isn't really that prepared for the performance that night. 
> 
> Oof. The next chapter is going to be a hoot.
> 
> QUESTION OF THE DAY:
> 
> When will Katrianna finally meet 2D?
> 
> ANSWER OF THE DAY:
> 
> It's all in the outline darling. I know it's slow, but that's what slow-burn is my dudes and the fact that 2D is still canonically with Paula at this time. (It's taking place about 1997-1998 right before the band is officially formed). So we have to get through that whole heartbreak soon, but don't worry, Kat and 2D will meet each other way before that happens. 
> 
> Love you guys!


	5. Kansas

**WHEN KATRIANNA FINALLY MADE IT TO THE office of Smile Records, she was already preparing herself to get back into the taxi and go home.** The building reminded her of some haunted house from those horror movies she had watched as a kid with her brother. All Smile Records needed was a bit of thunder booming in the back and the stage was set.

In the parking lot, Katrianna could see Stanley’s motorbike parked near the curb. Which meant Ethan kept to his promise and called the other band members, which took one problem of Kat’s list. Now she didn’t need to be alone with Ethan breathing down her neck. He was already creepy and unsettling as is.

Kat tied back her curly hair with a hair tie and readjusted her jacket. Unlike what Richard had thought, she did in fact get dressed for the event. She had on a real pair of pants, sneakers, and a t-shirt that was probably Richard’s, or James, it didn’t really matter. With her jacket on, she felt powerful, but she wasn’t ready for meeting Ethan face-to-face just yet.

Walking into the lobby was a standard thing, the young pretty-face behind the counter was preparing to go home and she waved to Katrianna as they passed by one another. If Kat was right, she was the same woman who had talked on the phone earlier that day, and her looks had fit her voice.

When Katrianna walked into Ethan’s office on the third floor, she felt her heart in her throat. It had only been twenty-four hours since she last saw her other family, but they had left on such a sour note it was going to be hard to get through that meeting without tearing someone else’s throat out. Especially for Stanley, who had a temper as high as ego.

“Right on time,” Ethan announced checking his gold watch, “now we can begin.”

Katrianna took one of the recliners in the corner of his office. Jaslene and Brie were sharing one of the loveseat couches against the wall, and Brie seemed to have been crying the last few hours. Her crystal eyes were red with tears, and Jaslene’s hand was resting on her shoulder as she wiped at her face again.

Christopher was seated in one of the stray plastic chairs across the desk, and Stanley was sprawled lengthwise across the other couch. Katrianna might have thought he was sleeping if he hadn’t turned the moment she came in the room.

“Listen close,” Ethan began, sitting up from his seat and staring at the five band members as if they were troubled children in a classroom. “We have had a tremendous breakthrough in your band’s career, a best-selling album, a band with the looks and talent to pull it off, but all of you are fucking idiots.”

Katrianna swallowed the hard lump in her throat.

“The amount of trouble you have caused in such a short amount of time should be a damn record with the way you fuckups are running the show. You think that these rumors go away after some time? You think if you just let them go people will forget? If you said yes I’m going to give you a certified retard card to put in your wallets.”

Stanley snickered on the couch, and one harsh look from Ethan caused the boy to shut his mouth. Ethan had rubbed his temples as his band waited for the lecture to continue.

“You are all royal fuckups. God damn you guys. You’re all making my life harder because you can’t keep your damn mouths shut. Reporters are everywhere, they aren’t going to go away as long as you have a fanbase.”

“I thought this was about the contract.”

Ethan turned to Christopher, who had just lighted a brand-new cigarette. The smell of smoke permeated the air as everyone turned to him.

“You said this was about the contract, Ethan. Why aren’t we talking about it?”

Ethan threw a copy of the same magazine Kat was reading at Christopher.

“That’s the damn reason. You fuckups are really digging a whole that’s going to be damn hard to crawl out of. You only just became a sensation, and you already made pregnancy rumors? Drug rumors? And fucking breaking up? You’re fucking rock stars, start acting like it. If someone comes up to you and starts asking questions, DON’T. FUCKING. ANSWER. THEM.”

Christopher rolled his eyes as he blew out a puff of smoke. Clearly, he didn’t care what Ethan had to say.

“Now, about the contract.” Ethan continued, looking over a copy of the same paper he had given all of them the night before. “We all seem to be having a disagreement over the terms and conditions. I told you we either give the rights to Kat, or you all get dismissed and kiss your sorry careers goodbye.”

Stanley sat up from his spot on the couch, pulling his sunglasses away. “Do you really think we’re ready to already give the rights away? To Katrianna? She didn’t even form the band for God’s sake!” He yelled from his spot. His face turned red, just like it did a mere twenty hours ago. It was almost like they never left, the atmosphere was still slick with hatred and enough tears and yelling to cause a riot. Kat wondered if anyone could actually hear them on the streets.

“She’s the lead singer, everyone sees the Red Kings because of her, you don’t like it, get the fuck out.”

Stanley stayed glued to his chair. He liked money over morals, which was understandable. One more good record and the band was set for life. They didn’t need to worry about the truth of adult hood as long as they stayed in the band.

“Now,” Ethan sent the papers flying to the ground. “Those of you who haven’t signed it, get fucking to it. We want your band set for a tour by the end of the month. Nothing fancy, just a few small showings across the UK.”

“A tour?” Christopher’s ears perked up. His cigarette burning to a stub before he tossed in the ash pile Ethan kept on his desk. “I thought you said no tours?”

“I said no _US_ tours. Most of those hippie Americans haven’t even heard of you yet. You’re famous in the UK, you’re touring in the UK. Five cities, five nights. I already had the executives plan out the busses and stadiums for you, but if you want to get on that bus, you need to sign.”

Christopher glanced at Katrianna, who stayed quiet. None of it was her idea, hell she would have been happy to just to allow them not to sign and they’d be on their merry happy way to loser-ville, at least she’d get to make her own choices. No Ethan, no worries. He was a constant thorn in all their sides anyway, she was sure the band could have made it without him, but not everyone saw it that way.

Brie wiped the last few tears raw, grabbed a pen, and signed the bottom in scribbles before she grabbed her jacket and took off. Katrianna felt ice. Guess Brie was keeping her promise on never speaking to her again. Should have guessed.

Jaslene shook her head in disbelief, giving Kat the same look as before. A disappointing scowl that only true hatred bared, and Kat shrunk in her seat, not daring to look her in the eye either. There were too many things running in her head and facing the look of ultimate betrayal did not need to be occupying her mind too.

“Well, I guess the bitches left, now gentleman,” Ethan pointed to the contract, “we can’t do this without our bassist and rhythm guitarist can we?”

Stanley huffed, staring down at Katrianna as he too signed the bottom with scribbles. God, she felt like a horrible person, and it wasn’t even her fault! It wasn’t like the band was a happy-go-lucky-tight-knit group before the record label, but damn, there had to be some trust and love in there somewhere.

Right?

Then again, Stanley never showed any compassion towards Kat anyway. Even when she was just the filler when the other bassist never showed up for practice and performances. It had been completely accidental when she ended up becoming an official member, and she only assumed they let her in because they were able to play on the stage at the White Horse for free, completely reasonable, Kat would have done the same. It was a whole other story when it came to her being the front man, and not really a fun story to tell around the dinner table.

Christopher still sat in his chair, he had already signed it, so there was no need for him to be sticking around. Unless he wanted Christopher to be lecturing his ass on some other pointless topic, like smoking, although Ethan smoke around two packs a day easy.

“We need to talk about your relationship,” Ethan interjected, “it’s getting quite bothersome trying to explain what’s going on between you two. So, are you together? Or not?”

Christopher shrugged, “call us whatever you wish.”

“Well, if you’re in a relationship, we want to play it up. Clout really. How adorable would it be if two members got together? Two bassists none the less. Cute? Right?”

Katrianna never wanted Ethan to say “cute” and “adorable” again. It sounded malicious coming out of his mouth.

“Why would we pretend?” Kat asked.

“Not pretend but glorify. Matching shirts, lipstick marks on his cheeks, sharing the same bass. The public will think it’s more important than the news already spreading around your band. It could help the tour when we have it set up.”

“So, you want us to be your puppets to get rid of the negativity?”

“More or less.”

Christopher rubbed his lips, something he did when he was trying to play it of as if he was only considering. He’d never give in, and honestly, Kat wouldn’t either. That was just wrong. Pretending to be in a relationship to hide the bad things in your past? To direct the public’s view on something else. It didn’t help that Kat and Christopher were both on bad terms, especially after the fight the night before. Those bruises were still throbbing around her forearm, she could only imagine the wrath James and Richard would cause if they saw them.

Ethan smiled, stepping in front of Christopher, over towering his form as he stared down at him. He placed his hand on his shoulder, “would you just do it, maybe until after the tour is finished? Then you’re off the hook?”

Christopher grimaced, “how much pay?”

“Three times the usual fee, and it would be our little secret.”

Katrianna was about to protest before Christopher tossed a magazine at her, basically telling her to be quiet and sit back down.

“Kat, don’t ruin this.” Were the last words spoken before both Ethan and Christopher left the room, leaving Kat alone in a gray and thundering office.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OOf. Hey ya'll hope you're enjoying this story as much as I am writing it. See you in the next chapter!
> 
> Question of the Day:
> 
> Who are in the Red Kings?
> 
> Answer of the Day:
> 
> There are officially five members in total. Katrianna (lead vocalist), Christopher (Bassist), Stanley (rhythm guitarist), Brie (lead guitarist), and Jaslene (drums and backup vocals). You'll find more about the Red Kings before Smile Records in the next few chapters, but those are all the members and I hope I answered your question!
> 
> Song of the Chapter:
> 
> Gorillaz-Kansas. Dude, I was telling the truth when I said I was only going to use Gorillaz songs. Lmao. Anyway, I picked this song because in general, just love this song?? But also because of Christopher and Katrianna's relationship. (which will also be explained as the story progresses) Anyway thanks my dudes, I hope you enjoyed!

**Author's Note:**

> Thank so much for reading love!
> 
> Don't forget to comment and leave me some kudos, they always make me so happy! :D


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